INVENTORY. A police operative conducts an inventory on the P70,000 worth of suspected shabu seized from a martial arts instructor during a buy-bust operation in Dumaguete City on Wednesday night (July 17, 2019). The suspect refused to disclose the group of martial arts instructors, which he leads. (Photo by Juancho Gallarde)
DUMAGUETE CITY – A martial arts instructor was collared by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) on Wednesday night in a buy-bust operation at his residence in Purok Camia, Sitio Canday-ong, Barangay Calindagan here.
Recovered from the possession of Eduardo Balagon Sr., 57, were 13 elongated plastic sachets and one medium size sachet believed to contain shabu, the PHP1,000 marked money and other illegal drugs paraphernalia.
The suspected shabu is estimated to weigh more or less 10 grams and valued of PHP70,000.
In an interview, Balagon said he switched to selling shabu because his income from teaching martial arts is not enough. He refused to disclose his group of martial arts instructors, which he leads. He told the police he is not a drug user.
CDEU chief Capt. Van Joel Tingson revealed that his unit conducted a surveillance operation on the activities of Balagon when his name surfaced last year for being one of the alleged links of sources inside the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bajumpandan.
According to Tingson, the link was disclosed during tactical interrogation in previous arrests made, in connection with the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the city.
Tingson further disclosed one “pangkat” (jail lingo used for group of inmates) inside the city jail is directing the illegal drugs operation in the city, with sources coming from Bacong, Negros Oriental.
In another drug bust, the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) said Regie Bernia Radaza, 32, a resident of Barangay Cadawinonan, Dumaguete City, was nabbed around 5 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Looc here.
The police tagged Radaza as a “newly-identified” drug personality. He was arrested during a preventive patrol/Oplan Sita by Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives led by Police S/Sgt. Carl L. Lazalita.
A piece of elongated heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu weighing more or less .08 grams was confiscated from Radaza's possession.
The arrest was witnessed by councilor Erwin Lozada of Barangay Looc and Jhoniel Roy Ortega, a media representative.
The suspect is now detained as charges for violation of Sec. 11 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are prepared for filing against him. (PNA)
